Chapter | 1 |
They were two different ends of a spectrum,
never meant to meet, never meant to interact
stuck in two opposite worlds.
His was dark and dangerously twisted,
hers was drowning in glitter and gold.
He was the typical bad guy, all cocky and confident.
She was the good girl,all imperfections covered underneath the glamour.
But he saw her and decided to break her already fractured life.
"Wuuuuuuh. Thi's amaziiiiin'! Wuuuuuh, c'me, c'me par'y w'th me. I feel li'e fly'n'. Yeeeeeah I g't wingsss, fly w'th me Laney!"
She replayed the voice mail her former best friend left on her cell phone. She hadn't realized that her phone was ringing because she was sitting on her bed, headphones on, studying even though it was still summer break. But all she wanted to do was keep herself busy, keep her mind occupied, preventing it from traveling back into dark corners, painful memories and suffocating thoughts.
Hearing the voice mail, however, pushed memories from the past back to the surface, ready to haunt her. Her former friend was drunk, completely. Sheri barely got drunk, but she was right now for whatever reason.
For a couple minutes, Delaney was hesitating, debating internally whether or not she should care.
Yeah, they used to be best friends, they used to be in the cheer squad and basically did everything together with her other former friend Angie Romero, but that seemed to be a long time ago. A year to be exact.
She swallowed hard trying to push down the tears threatening to emerge and leave cold trails on her face again. Sitting in her big dark room on her soft sheets, she felt the overwhelming pain coming back, the memories she so desperately tried to forget.
She didn't know what to do, but she couldn't sit here dwelling in her own dark thoughts.
So she slid into her most comfortable jeans and a dark green sweater that would keep her warm enough, before she grabbed her phone, the car keys and her wallet. She needed to be quiet and sneak out without her overbearing parents noticing.
Not that her parents care for her well being. No, they just wanted to prevent another scandal rocking the Atkins family. Since the death of her brother – the golden boy of liberty high, star athlete ready to get sports scholarships in all the best Ivy league colleges possible- they were eager to keep up the facade of the picture perfect family. And if Mr and Mrs Atkins know anything best, it is how to pretend and keep secrets. Lies were her mother's specialty next to a perfectly served gin and tonic. And her father - well, cheaters are the masters of excuses after all.
Making sure that both of her parents were sound asleep, Delaney slipped through the hallways to smoothly get to her car, unnoticed by anyone.
Holding on to the steering wheel, her mind was occupied by too many thoughts. Breathing in and out slowly, she tried to calm herself down. Anxiety – a feeling she got well accustomed over the last year – took a hold of her.
She has not been to any party after her brother's death, quite frankly she avoided the crowds rigorously,stopped pretty much all of her extra curricula activities and hated the students of liberty high with a passion. How could she not hate those who befouled her brother's legacy with horrific rumors?
'They just used my family's tragedy to fuel their stupid rumors. Typical Liberty High.'
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel while her anger got the best of her, contemplating whether or not going was a good idea.
But she couldn't just ignore Sheri's call. She couldn't just risk her friend doing a stupid mistake that could cost her life – she couldn't survive that, not again.
They have not spoken in a year. Angie transferred to a catholic all girl school, Delaney shut herself from the rest of the world and Sheri – Sheri lived her life without her best friends, and she couldn't blame her former friend for it.
That is why she was driving to Jessica Davis' house, knowing that the last party of summer is being thrown there, full of the people she wholeheartedly despised and she made sure to avoid last year. She would go in their, for the sake of their former friendship, get Sheri back home safe and try to get through the rest of the 22 Hours and 17 minutes.
'You can do this, Delaney, you can survive this', she told herself, 'there are more years to come, you have to go through this.'
Just a few minutes later, she stopped in front of a house filled with yelling mixed with loud music. The door to the house was open, people were outside on the front yard with red cups in their hands. Two people were rolling in the grass, probably wrestling, while a small group cheered them on.
"Idiots", Delaney mumbled before she took a last breathe.
'Okay, put on the bitch face you perfected over the last year', she told herself before she granted herself another few seconds to climb out of her car. She turned off the ignition of her car and got out towards the house.
'How no one called the police yet is a mystery', she thought when she passed by the small group drinking and cheering for the 2 amateur wrestlers on the ground.
Loud music filled her ears, the smell of alcohol, smoke and sweat pierced her noise as she squeezed through the door frame almost completely occupied by a couple making out frantically, totally oblivious to their surroundings.
'Disgusting', she thought, giving the couple a last glance while wrinkling her nose.
She could almost taste the smoke and sweat on her tongue.
'Okay let's find Sheri and get the hell out of here. Gross!'
However, she was standing there in the hallway, uncomfortable and completely lost as people drunkenly yell to communicate over the loud music and stumble into her, not even trying to walk through the crowds.
Without knowing where to start, she scanned the area for her friend. No, she was not new to the scene. Before her brother's death, she used to go to the parties, hang out with popular kids, because, well she was one, like her friends and her brother, after all she was a cheerleader. That felt like a life time ago, like a past life she forgot or at least wished to completely erase from her memories.
Now, she just felt out of place, hoping no one will recognize her.
'Sheri needs you', her conscience crawled back up into her head. So, she stayed and started moving through the crowd. First, she was pushing towards what seemed to be the dining room in the direction to the kitchen. On the way to the kitchen, she bumped into obnoxious and dancing people, one guy closed his eyes jumping up and down with two red cups in both of his hands,dangerously close to spilling it all over Delaney.
'Never mind, these dumb idiots are too drunk to recognize me! Gosh I can't believe Sheri would be stupid enough to get herself this drunk', she thought her eyes continuously roaming for the petite cheerleader.
As she squeezed her way into the kitchen, which thankfully was not as fully crowded, she felt a huge breathe escape her lips she didn't even notice she was holding.
'It just stinks', she told herself and ignored the anxiety as a guy she didn't recognized gave her an once over. His eyes were glazed and unfocused, his posture a bit crouched, signaling her that he barely was capable of holding his weight as he leaned against the counter, red cup in one hand, while a Vodka bottle was lying on the counter, the liquid pouring out, dripping on the floor.
"Heeeey, beauti...", he started slurring, but Delaney quickly escaped through the other door into the living room area.
A strong, piercing smell of fire, smoke and skunk hit her nose when she pushed through the crowd to an opening at the corner next to the couch.
Her eyes roamed over the the dancing and chatting teens eager to find the drunk girl in question to finally get out of this house filled with too many familiar faces.
"Look who is here!", she heard the arrogant voice reach her ears through the music.
'Shit', she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before she decided to turn towards the couch and regard the group of people sitting there with a cold stare.
Bryce Walker, probably one of the biggest jerks of Liberty High, was sitting at the couch, his girlfriend and head cheerleader Chloe Rice on his lap, obviously drunk, and the other jocks all on the couch or the ground, smoking and passing 3 joints, which explained the pestering smell.
"The ice queen is honoring us with her appearance. How noble", he said with a smirk on his lips, earning snickers from his friends.
Her gaze traveled through the group and found the typical jocks sitting around. She couldn't believe that her brother used to be friends with them.
Shaking her head, she returned to scanning through the room, anxious to leave this group and never interact with them again.
"Lost something?", she heard Bryce's taunting voice.
"Cut it Walker, I am not here for you", she said, her voice laced with as much coldness as she could master.
"Oh princess, you are hurting my feelings", he replied with fake hurt in his voice.
Delaney just shook her head and tried her best to ignore him.
"It's actually refreshing seeing you here. Never thought that would happen again", Bryce stated with curiosity in his voice.
Ready to give him a piece of her mind,she put on a sarcastic smirk before regarding him with an arrogant stare that told him 'I am too good for you'.
"Better not get used to it. Don't even think for a second I would waste my time with you and your likes", she gave back and shot them a disgusted look.
Montgomery, who was quietly enjoying the scene leaning back against the couch, gave her a malicious smirk,before taking a drag of the joint he was holding in his right a few seconds, he blew the smoke in her direction and leaned forward, still holding the rolled paper in between his fingers.
"Hey Laney, you like to study huh. Why don't I teach you how to have a good time?", he offered with a suggestive glint in his eyes.
"Not even in your dreams, 're repulsive", she sneered while grimacing at the very thought of him coming too close to her.
"Repulsive?", he said arching one eyebrow, still with a smirk on his lips.
"Yeah, it means you disgust me, dumbass", she huffed, not believing she was stupid enough to fall for the bait and more or less talk to them.
"I know what that means" he stated,taking another drag, now seeming angrier than entertained with his free hand balled into a fist. She was not an idiot, she knew his reputation, still it didn't prevent her from provoking him.
"Sorry", she said with a fake smile and a voice sugared with too much sweetness to be real, "I sincerely apologize...for underestimating that one brain cell left in your head."
"You stupid bitch...",Montgomery retorted ready to getup, but Zach Dempsey sitting next to him grabbed his arm and pushed him back into the couch.
"It's not worth it", he mutter to calm down his friend.
Before Montgomery or anyone else could say a word, Delaney dismissed them with a last look of disgust: "I can't believe my brother wasted time with trash like you guys."
And with that she disappeared into the crowd before anyone could reply, still on a mission to find her former friend.
It was several minutes after Montgomery saw the dark haired girl leave the party with a drunk brunette hanging on her shoulder that he along with Zach returned to the couch, where his friends remained seated.
Justin was absent, probably getting lucky with his girlfriend Jessica in her bedroom. Ever since he got adopted by the Jensens, he was no fun anyways.
He looked at his friend Bryce, who was taking a sip of his drink and chatting with Marcus and Luke.
"Where is Chloe", Zach asked Bryce, however, with no particular interest.
"Eh, probably vomiting in the bathroom with her friend Janie", Bryce answered nonchalant.
"You mean Julie", Zach said laughing.
"Yeah whatever, who cares. Just another chick", Bryce commented shrugging his shoulders.
"You know that Atkins chick really thinks she is better than us", Marcus stated out of the blue, examining his red empty cup.
"She certainly is better than you", Bryce laughed pushing his shoulder.
"Oh shut up Bryce",Marcus shot back, though his face revealing that he felt a bit insulted.
"Maybe Monty is right",Luke said, who was sitting on the ground opposite to Montgomery, who shot him a confused look, "maybe she needs to be taught a lesson."
Montgomery smirked as he was leaning back, putting his arm on top of the back of the couch: "Of course I am right. That bitch is way to uptight."
"I bet she is still a virgin", Bryce said breaking out in laughter.
"Won't bet against you", Montgomery agreed joining in his laughter.
"Who could put up with her anyways?", Luke nodded and laughed with the rest.
"Actually, you guys just gave me an interesting idea", Marcus spoke up, obviously thinking hard about something, "how about a bet, starring our dearest little Miss perfect."
"And what bet would that be?", Montgomery asked grabbing a paper and some weed to roll another joint.
"I don't know yet",Marcus admitted, still looking like he was wracking his brain to find an idea.
"I got one", Bryce announced, everyone looking at him expectantly.
"Well she's most likely still a virgin and she definitely has a heart of ice. How about taking her virginity and breaking her heart at the same time", he suggested with a vicious grin gracing his lips.
"What?", Zach finally spoke up, not seeming to be happy with the direction this conversation is going toward.
"Huh, that's easy", Montgomery mumbled, before he put the freshly rolled joint in between his lips and grabbed for the lighter.
"Oh, do I hear a volunteer?", Bryce send a challenging look towards Montgomery. The brunette looked back, not impressed at all as he took a long drag,leaned back against the back of the couch and blew the smoke toward the ceiling.
"Maybe", he mumbled closing his eyes, the weed finally hitting him, gracing him with a feeling of floating.
"Come on guys, she'll never fall for this shit", Zach said, his voice still conveying disbelief over this whole situation.
"I see Zachy is betting against you",Bryce commented, getting more and more amused by the situation.
"I bet Montgomery can't get it done either", Marcus agreed.
"Yeah no chance", Luke spoke up.
Montgomery just stayed still for a moment, enjoying the feeling, before his lips tilted upwards into a smirk. With a malicious glint in his eyes he looked at the crowd: "What's the deal?"
Bryce clapped and put his hand encouragingly on his friend's shoulder: "That's my man, never backing down from a challenge! Okay you simply have to fuck her...let's say by Winter formal."
"That much time?",Montgomery asked arching his eyebrow.
"Well, she is a rigid bitch, we want to be fair", the blond athlete stated clearly amused.
"But you don't just simply have to take her virginity", Marcus added, looking dead serious into Montgomery's eyes, "you need to make her fall in love with you and fuck her over. Real bad."
Montgomery starred at him,his expression emotionless. He was thinking, trying to ignore the feeling caused by the weed he smoked, but concentrate on what was going on.
Delaney was a cold bitch who thought she was better than anyone else. He didn't really remember much of her before Jeff died, but she wasn't like that. She went out, she had fun, she was a cheerleader and in the volleyball team, she had friends and was actually outgoing. Well, that was in the past though. After the scandal brought upon her family after her brother's death, she completely changed and became the stone cold bitch all of them knew and hated.
"Guys, seriously, she is Jeff's little sister", Zach tried to reason again.
'That's right. She is Jeff's sister.'
He remembered Jeff; he was Liberty High's golden boy, popular among all of them. He was a good guy, always positive, always smiling and always helpful. He even used to train with Montgomery one on one once in a while before he died. All of the guys looked up to him, everyone wanted to be like him. If he didn't die, he would have been a star player in one of the best colleges, that's for sure.
"I can't believe my brother wasted time with trash like you guys."
He remembered her words. They stung, even if he hated to admit it, she actually hit a target deep within him, almost triggered him to lose control again.
Trash!
He hated feeling worthless, feeling like he is beneath everyone. Powerless, hopeless – a waste.
'She is a bitch!'
"I'm in."
He would prove that he wasn't trash, but that she was after he was done with her.
'I am gonna fuck that bitch over!'
Her car was parked outside in the dark in front of a very familiar house. She remembered all of the moments she spent here, all the sleepovers and movie nights, all the carefree moments far away from her prison world.
Her head turned towards her old friend,who was leaning against the door of the passenger seat in a drunken state.
Carefully, she reached for her and shook her slightly to get her to wake up, at least slightly. Delaney was not strong enough to carry her friend all the way to her room.
"Sheri, hey, can you wake up?", she whispered. This shouldn't feel strange or make her uncomfortable,after all, she did this many times in the past; sneaking an intoxicated Sheri back into her room without her parents Sheri never got this drunk and they weren't friends frankly, receiving a voice mail after one year of not speaking with each other at all surprised her.
Sheri stirred a little as her eyes started fluttering.
"Mmm, Laney?", her tired voice came out in a barely hushed whispered.
"Where am I?"
She sounded better, at least she was not slurring anymore.
"In my car. Remember? You called me to pick you up at the party", Delaney whispered back in a soft voice, her eyes scanning the brunette with worry.
"You came... today?", she muttered,trying her best to open her eyes and look at Delaney, but her head felt to heavy, hitting the window when she leaned back again.
"Yeah", was all Delaney could reply, weirdly feeling comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.
Looking at her best friend, sitting with her right here, realization just hit her; she missed Sheri.
"Today is the day", Sheri mumbled,"the day Jeff died and... you came for me?"
It was not her words that paralyzed Delaney, no it was the single tear drop that slid down her friend's cheeks. Delaney swallowed, her throat dry all of a sudden, her brain wrecking, desperately trying to figure out the right words to she didn't function. This was the first time she saw someone else genuinely mourn for her brother besides herself.
It was exactly a year ago that Jeff died in an accident. 21 hours and 32 minutes left till the day was finally over.
"Of course. You're...", she stopped for a second, unsure whether or not to continue, to speak the words out loud she desperately wants to say, but at the same time wants to swallow back deep, "...my friend."
Her eyes were fixed on the drunk girl,who was laying there half seated, eyes closed again, her body not moving.
"I miss you", Sheri muttered,another tear finding its way on the surface of her cheek.
"It's okay...", Delaney started,but Sheri interrupted her with a sob, so tiny and quit she barely heard it.
"No", she whimpered, "I don't deserve... to be your friend."
That was the last thing Sheri said,before she fell asleep. Delaney remained in the silence of her car,trying to understand what was going on. For a year, she was all by herself trying to get over her last years of High School before she could leave this god forsaken town, and with it all the memories that are haunting her. All she did was keeping to herself, trying to be invisible - just one more year.
Just one more year left before she could be free, before she could escape this constant state of drowning in a place she despised to call home.
After couple minutes she decided to just take the keys out of Sheri's purse and carry her into her bedroom.
Quickly, she went back to her car,eager to leave and forget all of the words and the pain that was exchanged tonight.
She was determined to go on with her life as if today never happened.
"Just graduate and get the hell out of here", she muttered to herself.
But she didn't know;
everything was about to change.
Unaware, she had lost all control when the devil made the deal for a game of cat and mouse.
And she was the mouse.
Hey guys,
so I had this idea a while back and finally decided to upload it. For some reason the start of a story is always the hardest part for me, but now that this is done, the real fun can begin :) This story will most likely contain mature themes (swearing, sexual, addiction, trigger etc.), warnings will be put at the beginning of each chapter. Anyways, I would be happy if you let me know what you think so far.
This story does not follow the original. The plot is completely different and we will go deeper into the circumstances of Jeff's death and uncover many more secrets along the way.
